Roadwatch Advice For The May Bank Holiday Weekend

03 May 2013
Posted by Arwen Foley

With many people taking to the roads this May Bank Holiday, Head of AA Roadwatch, Aoife Carragher has this advice.

The mass exodus usually begins at about 4pm on Thursday evening. Traditionally a lot of people take an extra day off before the Bank Holiday to try and get on the road as early as possible. This means that already substantial Thursday evening traffic will be even busier. Generally there is no way around it; motorists leaving Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick should expect delays. The same can be said for those travelling on Friday; Bank Holiday Friday rush hour traffic begins and ends much earlier than a normal day. Motorists will be crawling on all routes at 2pm and by 5:30pm things will be returning to normal.

We are expecting a lot more people to travel longer journeys this May Bank Holiday so before you take to the roads it’s important to remember to check your car is in good working order first. If it’s due a service now may be the time to do it. Check your tyres for tread depth and pressure – don’t forget to check your spare too. Have a look under the bonnet to make sure you have enough oil, water and washer fluid. Ask a friend or relative to help you check your car lights. With Irish weather so unpredictable, it’s probably a good idea to make sure your window wipers are clean or replace them if necessary. If you are on the motorway network, remember that there is still a shortage of service areas notably on the M8 and M9. Make sure that your tank is full and your bladder is empty! If you do get into trouble over the weekend be sure to have your AA Membership card to hand. Additional AA Patrols will be out in force this Bank Holiday.

The May Bank Holiday Weekend marks the beginning of Summer and one of the busiest weekends on the country’s roads. We’re hoping for some sunshine, an opportunity to roll down the windows and maybe even get that lovely one arm tan. There is no guarantee that the weather will deliver but no matter what happens there will be plenty going on and extra traffic should be expected on all routes.

There are a few major events taking place this weekend and volumes will obviously be much heavier approaching all of these locations. The Kinsale Sevens takes place in Co. Cork on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May. This is an extremely popular event as people travel from far and wide to attend.

In neighbouring Co. Kerry the International Rally of the Lakes will be hosted in Killarney again on Saturday and Sunday. The Rally headquarters will be located at the Gleneagle Hotel on the Muckross Rd, delays are most likely on the N71 Killarney/Cork Rd and some closures will operate over the course of the weekend.

Limerick will also be a hotspot for the Bank Holiday; the Limerick City Riverfest takes place from Friday 3rd until Monday 6th May. Events will include a fireworks display on Saturday at 9:45pm and for the more active among us, the Great Limerick Run will take place on Sunday. Delays are likely throughout the city for the duration of the festival.

Revelers seeking a festival with a difference will be making their way to county Louth this weekend. Vantastival takes place at Bellurgan Park which is between Dundalk and Carlingford from Friday until Sunday.

Never mind the Bank Holiday, did you not know this Sunday is League final day? On Sunday all roads will lead to Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park where the Cats will take on the Premier County of Tipperary in the National Hurling League Division 1A Final.

And for those planning to spend the weekend in the capital, Leinster will play Ospreys in the Pro 12 at the RDS on Friday evening. Events at the RDS bring extra traffic through Ballsbridge.

These are only a few of the major events expected to attract large volumes of traffic, for more visit the Events sections of the AA Roadwatch website and for updates on traffic throughout the weekend follow @aaroadwatch on Twitter.